Indoor unit of air conditioner

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

BACKGROUND ART

In a conventional indoor unit of an air conditioner, a rear drain pan for receiving drain from a rear side heat exchanger is provided on a rear plate that is placed on rear side of a blower fan and that guides to a blowoff opening air having passed through a front and the rear side heat exchangers (e.g., JP 8-14596 A).

In an indoor unit of an air conditioner, which is not shown, a rear plate of the unit is molded in one piece so as to have a cross-section generally shaped like a letter Y, and a rear drain pan is formed of a portion of the plate which has the Y-shaped cross-section. Specifically, the rear plate is composed of facing part that faces a blower fan and protruding part that protrudes rearward from lower end of tongue part that is upper end part of the facing part, and the rear drain pan formed of the tongue part and of the protruding part is molded in one piece from resin, so that production cost therefor is reduced.

Incidentally, the rear plate is molded with use of a lower metal mold that has a large cross-sectional area and that is for molding a front side of the facing part for guiding air and an upper metal mold that has a small cross-sectional area and that is for molding an inner surface of the rear drain pan. The lower metal mold having the large cross-sectional area and thus allowing penetration therethrough of a large number of cooling pipes can sufficiently be cooled by those pipes, whereas the upper metal mold having the small cross-sectional area and thus allowing penetration therethrough of few cooling pipes cannot be cooled sufficiently, which causes a great difference in temperature between resin part of the tongue part in contact with the lower metal mold and resin part of the tongue part in contact with the upper metal mold. The great temperature difference results in a problem in that an excessive residual stress in the tongue part that is the upper end part of the rear plate may cause a warp of the upper end part of the rear plate after release of the molds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner that is capable of preventing occurrence of a warp in upper end part of a rear plate.

In order to achieve the object, an indoor unit of an air conditioner of the invention comprises:

a blower between a heat exchanger and a blowoff opening, and

a rear plate for guiding a flow of air toward the blowoff opening, the rear plate placed on back side of the blower, wherein

grooves are provided on a back surface of windward end part of the rear plate opposed to a front surface of the windward end part which guides the flow of air.

In the specification, terms “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear” or “vertical direction” designate upper, lower, front, rear or vertical direction in an installed indoor unit of an air conditioner (the air conditioner that is running).

In the invention, the grooves that are formed on the back surface of the windward end part of the rear plate opposed to the front surface increase a surface area of the back surface (a heat radiating area in contact with air) and thus promote heat radiation from the back surface having the grooves formed thereon. On condition that a temperature on the back surface of the end part is higher than a temperature on the front surface of the end part when the end part is formed, accordingly, a temperature difference can be decreased between the temperature on the back surface and the temperature on the front surface, and a residual stress in the end part can be reduced that is caused by the temperature difference. As a result, warp in the end part can be reduced.

In the invention, the grooves are formed on the back surface, and thus rigidity of the end part can be increased by the grooves. In this respect also, accordingly, the warp in the end part can be reduced.

In one embodiment, the end part of the rear plate forms a portion of a rear drain pan that is molded integrally with the rear plate, and wherein

the back surface having the grooves is an inside surface of the rear drain pan.

In molding of the rear plate according to the embodiment in which an upper metal mold is placed inside the rear drain pan and in which a lower metal mold is placed on the front surface of the rear plate that guides the flow of air, even if a large residual stress tends to occur in the end part because of excess of a temperature of the upper metal mold having a small cross-sectional area over a temperature of the lower metal mold having a large cross-sectional area and allowing penetration therethrough of a large number of cooling pipes, the grooves inside the rear drain pan that effect radiation of a large quantity of heat from the back surface immediately after mold release allow the residual stress in the end part to be efficiently relieved. As a result, warp in the end part can effectively be reduced.

In one embodiment, the grooves extend in a direction generally perpendicular to a rotation axis of the blower.

In the embodiment, the grooves extend in the direction generally perpendicular to the rotation axis of the blower, therefore the grooves can efficiently be formed, and the surface area of the back surface of the end part can be increased. Provided that the back surface forms part of the rear drain pan, drain can be moved downward and dripped along the grooves and can smoothly be collected.

In an indoor unit of an air conditioner of the invention, the grooves that are formed on the back surface of the windward end part of the rear plate opposed to the front surface which guides a flow of air increase a surface area of the back surface and thus promote heat radiation from the back surface having the grooves formed thereon. On condition that a temperature on the back surface which does not guide the flow of air of the end part is higher than a temperature on the front surface which guides the flow of air of the end part when the end part is formed, accordingly, a temperature difference can be decreased between the temperature on the back surface and the temperature on the front surface, and a residual stress in the end part can be reduced that is caused by the temperature difference. As a result, warp in the end part can be reduced.

In an indoor unit of an air conditioner of the invention, the grooves are formed on the back surface, and thus rigidity of the end part can be increased by the grooves. In this respect also, accordingly, the warp in the end part can be reduced.

In an indoor unit of an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment, the end part of the rear plate forms part of the rear drain pan, the back surface having the grooves forms the inside surface of the rear drain pan made in one piece, therefore quantity of heat radiated from the back surface can be increased by the grooves immediately after mold release and decrease in residual stress and reduction in warp in the end part can be achieved even though a cross-sectional area of a metal mold for molding inside of the rear drain pan is small.

In an indoor unit of an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment, the grooves extend in the direction generally perpendicular to the rotation axis of the blower, that is, in the direction in which metal molds are put in and out, and thus the grooves can easily be formed. In the unit in which the back surface forms part of the rear drain pan, drain can be moved and dripped along the grooves and can smoothly be collected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic vertical section view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a cross-section view showing an arrangement of metal molds on occasion of integral molding of a rear plate that the indoor unit of the air conditioner has;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref> is a view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment as seen from rear side;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3B</figref> is a cross-section view of part of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, taken along line A-A in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref>;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3C</figref> is a cross-section view taken along line B-B in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3B</figref>; and

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3D</figref> is an enlarged fragmentary view of <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3C</figref>.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic vertical section view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, reference number <b>1</b> denotes a cross flow fan as an example of a blower, number <b>2</b> denotes a heat exchanger composed of a front side heat exchanger and a rear side heat exchanger, and number <b>3</b> denotes a rear plate. In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, an arrow a designates an upward vertical direction. The cross flow fan <b>1</b> is placed between the heat exchanger <b>2</b> and a blowoff opening <b>15</b>.

The heat exchanger <b>2</b> has fins <b>6</b> and heat transfer tubes <b>7</b>. A plurality of fins <b>6</b> are disposed at specified intervals along a direction perpendicular to a page of <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. The fins <b>6</b> are shaped like flat plates. The fin <b>6</b> has a configuration that is bent generally like a letter V such that upper part thereof with respect to the vertical direction shown by the arrow a in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> protrudes. The heat transfer tubes <b>7</b> extend generally in a direction of a normal to the fin <b>6</b>. Specifically, the heat transfer tubes <b>7</b> extend so as to penetrate the plurality of fins <b>6</b> placed at the specified intervals along the direction of the normal to the page. Inside the heat transfer tubes <b>7</b> is circulated fluid. The heat exchanger <b>2</b> effects heat exchange between the fluid circulated inside the heat transfer tubes <b>7</b> and air circulated outside the heat transfer tubes <b>7</b>.

The rear plate <b>3</b> is molded in one piece from resin. The rear plate <b>3</b> has a main body <b>10</b> and a protrusion <b>11</b>. The main body <b>10</b> is shaped like a curved plate and extends from upper side to the blowoff opening <b>15</b> on lower side in the vertical direction so as to face the cross flow fan <b>1</b>, in other words, so as to cover rear side of the cross flow fan <b>1</b>. The main body <b>10</b> guides air in a direction shown by an arrow b in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> which air has passed through the heat exchanger <b>2</b> and has undergone heat exchange. The protrusion <b>11</b> has a plate-like shape (a term “plate” in the specification encompasses curved plates, plates having one or more bends, and plates having curved parts and bent parts). The protrusion <b>11</b> protrudes from a back surface <b>17</b> of the main body <b>10</b> which surface does not guide the air. Specifically, the protrusion <b>11</b> protrudes from between both ends (from a site other than both the ends) of the back surface <b>17</b>. The protrusion <b>11</b> extends generally upward in the vertical direction while being bent several times in the cross-section shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>.

An end <b>20</b> of the rear side heat exchanger of the heat exchanger <b>2</b> on side of the rear plate <b>3</b> is positioned between a tongue part (windward end part of the rear plate <b>3</b>) <b>21</b> of the main body <b>10</b>, which part is above the protrusion <b>11</b>, and the protrusion <b>11</b>. The tongue part <b>21</b> and the protrusion <b>11</b> serve as a rear drain pan <b>26</b>. In other words, the tongue part <b>21</b> and the protrusion <b>11</b> form part of a drain receiving section of a drainage system for discharging drain coming from the end <b>20</b> of the rear side heat exchanger on the side of the rear plate <b>3</b>.

A plurality of grooves (not shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>) are formed on a back surface <b>22</b> opposed to a front surface, which guides air, of the windward end part <b>21</b> of the rear plate <b>3</b>, that is, on the back surface <b>22</b> opposed to the front surface of the tongue part <b>21</b> which guides air. The plurality of grooves are formed and spaced with specified intervals in the direction perpendicular to the page of <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. Each groove extends in a vertical direction with respect to the indoor unit of the air conditioner, that is, in the direction generally perpendicular to a rotation axis of the cross flow fan <b>1</b>.

The back surface <b>22</b> having the grooves forms an inner surface of the rear drain pan <b>26</b>. Reference number <b>27</b> denotes a front drain pan, which will not be described in detail. The front drain pan <b>27</b> has a shape convexed downward in the cross-section of <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, and a front and lower end <b>24</b> of the front side heat exchanger of the heat exchanger <b>2</b> is positioned above the front drain pan <b>27</b>. The front drain pan <b>27</b> forms part of a drain receiving section of a drainage system for discharging drain coming from the front and lower end <b>24</b> of the front side heat exchanger.

In the air conditioner, the cross flow fan <b>1</b> is rotated, the air that has been sucked in through the heat exchanger <b>2</b> and that has undergone heat exchange is made to flow in the direction shown by the arrow b, along the main body <b>10</b> of the rear plate <b>3</b>, and is guided in a direction toward the blowoff opening <b>15</b>, and the air having undergone heat exchange is blown out from the blowoff opening <b>15</b>. In cooling operation, drain is produced in the heat exchanger <b>2</b> and then drips down. On this occasion, the front drain pan <b>27</b> receives drain dripping down from the front and lower end of the heat exchanger <b>2</b>, and the rear drain pan <b>26</b> receives drain from the end <b>20</b> of the heat exchanger <b>2</b> on the side of the rear plate <b>3</b> (the rear and lower end of the heat exchanger <b>2</b>), so that drainage treatment is performed in a lump.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a cross-section view showing an arrangement of metal molds on occasion of integral molding of the rear plate <b>3</b>.

In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, reference number <b>31</b> denotes a lower metal mold placed on side of the front surface that guides a flow of air on the main body <b>10</b> of the rear plate <b>3</b>, and number <b>32</b> denotes an upper metal mold placed between the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> and the protrusion <b>11</b>. Arrows shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> designate directions in which the lower metal mold <b>31</b> and the upper metal mold <b>32</b> are moved on occasion of mold release. The rear plate <b>3</b> is molded in one piece from resin. Specifically, the rear plate <b>3</b> is formed through processes of assembling the lower metal mold <b>31</b>, the upper metal mold <b>32</b>, and a back side metal mold (not shown) placed on side of a surface <b>33</b> of the rear plate <b>3</b> opposed to the tongue part <b>21</b> side, thereby forming a space having a shape corresponding to the rear plate <b>3</b> among the lower metal mold <b>31</b>, the upper metal mold <b>32</b>, and the back side metal mold, pouring liquid resin into the space, and curing the poured liquid resin.

When the rear plate <b>3</b> having the tongue part <b>21</b> is molded in one piece with use of the three metal molds, there is caused a necessity to cool the metal molds in order to cure the resin. This is achieved with the metal molds cooled by cooling pipes (not shown) that are penetrated through the metal molds in a direction perpendicular to a page of <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>. The lower metal mold <b>31</b> being placed on lower side, having a large cross-sectional area and allowing penetration therethrough of a large number of cooling pipes can sufficiently be cooled, whereas the upper metal mold <b>32</b> being placed on upper side, having a small cross-sectional area and allowing penetration therethrough of few cooling pipes cannot be cooled sufficiently, which causes a difference in temperature between resin part of the tongue part <b>21</b> in contact with the lower metal mold <b>31</b> and resin part of the tongue part <b>21</b> in contact with the upper metal mold <b>32</b>, before mold release. In the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment, however, in which the plurality of grooves are formed on the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> opposed to the front surface guiding a flow of air so as to increase a surface area of the back surface <b>22</b> (heat radiating area in contact with air) as described above, the back surface <b>22</b> radiates a large quantity of heat per unit time and thus relieves the temperature difference, from immediately after the mold release. Correctly, a quantity of heat radiated from the back surface <b>22</b> per unit time exceeds a quantity of heat radiated per unit time from the front surface of the tongue part <b>21</b> that guides a flow of air, and the temperature difference is thereby relieved, since immediately after the mold release until temperatures in the tongue part <b>21</b> are made generally uniform. This prevents occurrence of a great temperature difference between the front surface <b>35</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> which surface guides the flow of air and the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> which surface does not guide the flow of air and thus prevents occurrence of undesired warp in the tongue part <b>21</b> after the mold release.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref> is a view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment as seen from rear side, and <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3B</figref> is a cross-section view of part of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, taken along line A-A in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref>. <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3C</figref> is a cross-section view taken along line B-B in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3B</figref>, and <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3D</figref> is an enlarged fragmentary view of <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3C</figref>. In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3B</figref>, reference number <b>21</b> denotes the tongue part <b>21</b>. As shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3D</figref>, the plurality of grooves <b>40</b> are formed on the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> of the rear plate <b>3</b> which surface does not guide the flow of air. The plurality of grooves <b>40</b> are spaced and placed with specified intervals in a longitudinal direction with respect to the indoor unit of the air conditioner which direction is shown by an arrow c in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3D</figref> (corresponding to the direction perpendicular to the page of <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>). The grooves <b>40</b> extend in the vertical direction with respect to the indoor unit of the air conditioner which direction is shown by an arrow d in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3D</figref>.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment, the grooves <b>40</b> formed on the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> (the windward end part of the rear plate <b>3</b>) opposed to the air blow guiding side increase the surface area of the back surface <b>22</b> (the heat radiating area in contact with air) and thus promote heat radiation from the back surface <b>22</b>. On condition that a temperature on the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> which surface does not guide the flow of air is higher than a temperature on the front surface of the tongue part <b>21</b> which surface guides the flow of air, in taking out the tongue part <b>21</b>, accordingly, the temperature difference can be decreased between the temperature on the back surface <b>22</b> which does not guide the flow of air and the temperature on the front surface which guides the flow of air, and a residual stress in the tongue part <b>21</b> can be reduced that is caused by the temperature difference. As a result, warp in the tongue part <b>21</b> can be reduced.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment, which has the grooves <b>40</b> formed on the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> that does not guide the flow of air, rigidity of the tongue part can be increased by the grooves <b>40</b>. In this respect also, accordingly, the warp in the tongue part <b>21</b> can be reduced.

Even if a large residual stress is caused in the tongue part <b>21</b> during molding of the rear plate <b>3</b> by excess of a temperature of the upper metal mold <b>32</b> in contact with the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> which surface receives drain over a temperature of the lower metal mold <b>31</b> in contact with the front surface <b>35</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> which surface does not receive the drain (the front surface of the tongue part <b>21</b> which guides the flow of air), in the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment, the large quantity of heat radiated from the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> immediately after the mold release allows the residual stress in the tongue part <b>21</b> to be efficiently relieved. As a result, the effect of reducing warp in the tongue part <b>21</b> is increased.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment, in which the grooves <b>40</b> extend in the direction generally perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cross flow fan <b>1</b>, the grooves <b>40</b> can efficiently be formed and the surface area of the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b> can be increased. Besides, drain can be moved along the grooves <b>40</b> and can smoothly be collected because the grooves <b>40</b> extend in the direction generally perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cross flow fan <b>1</b>. Furthermore, the grooves <b>40</b>, which extend in the direction in which the metal molds are put in and out, can easily be formed.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment, the rear plate <b>3</b> that is combinedly provided with a function of the rear drain pan and that has a function of guiding the flow of air to the blowoff opening and the function of the rear drain pan is molded in one piece. In the invention, however, the rear plate having the grooves formed on the windward end part thereof and the rear drain pan do not have to be formed in one piece and may be formed independently.

In the indoor unit of the air conditioner in accordance with the embodiment, the grooves <b>40</b> are formed on the back surface <b>22</b> of the tongue part <b>21</b>, which surface does not guide the flow of air, so as to extend in the vertical direction with respect to the indoor unit of the air conditioner. In the invention, however, the grooves <b>40</b> may be formed on the back surface of the tongue part, which surface does not guide the flow of air, so as to extend in a transverse direction with respect to the indoor unit of the air conditioner. That is, a plurality of grooves may be formed and spaced in the direction of the arrow d in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3D</figref> so as to extend in the direction of the arrow c in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3D</figref>. The grooves may be formed on the back surface of the tongue part, which surface does not guide the flow of air, so as to extend in any direction. As a matter of course, a shape of the grooves formed on the back surface of the tongue part which surface does not guide the flow of air does not have to be linear and may be any shape such as bent shape, curved shape and combination of those.